The Philippine Navy's new Corvette Acquisition Project moves closer to reality, as more details are revealed

 
The Philippine Navy (PN) has been pursuing the acquisition of new guided-missile Corvettes as it continues to improve its combat capability as part of the service's modernization program.

Two new corvettes are eyed under the Corvette Acquisition Project (CAP), as part of the Horizon 2 Priority phase of the Revised AFP Modernization Program (RAFPMP) which covers acquisition projects between 2018 to 2022.

Currently, the CAP is delayed based on the Philippine Navy's programming, as they were hoping that a contract would be signed by 2020 to allow the first ship of the class to be delivered by late 2023. But COVID-19 pandemic has affected the program, including the sourcing of funding by the Philippine Government.

But lately, MaxDefense Philippines received information from sources that it appears that the program has progressed quietly but significantly, and that the Philippine Navy and Department of National Defense may have already decided on who the winning shipbuilder  would be as of this writing.

The Corvette Acquisition Project:

The acquisition of new corvettes are among the priority projects of the Philippine Navy, and has been in its Desired Force Mix procurement plan since the early 2010s. According to the PN plans, they intend to have at least 12 corvettes completed and/or ordered by the time the Horizon 3 phase of the RAFPMP is completed by 2028.

This is part of the Philippine Navy's planned acquisitions under Horizons 1, 2 and 3 phases of the RAFPMP, indicating their desire to acquire 6 corvettes under Horizon 2. In the end, funding for only 2 new corvettes were approved for funding by the Duterte administration. Photo credits to Philippine Navy.

So far, that plan has not pushed through as planned, as only 1 second-hand corvette has been acquired by the PN between 2013 to 2020, in the form of the former Republic of Korea Navy Pohang-class Flight III corvette now known as BRP Conrado Yap (PS-39).

Under the Horizon 2 phase of the RAFPMP, the Philippine Navy originally requested for the acquisition of 6 corvettes back in 2016, which was reduced to 4 in 2017, before the approved quantity was reduced further to just 2 in June 2018.

The Philippine Navy has been conducting pre-procurement preparations for the Corvette Acquisition Project since the start of the Horizon 2 phase of the RAFPMP in 2018.

Back in May 2018, MaxDefense Philippines released a blog entry discussing some of the preliminary technical requirements for the project as provided publicly by the Philippine Navy. For those who have not read it yet, you may do so on link provided below:

"Philippine Navy releases Basic Requirement for the Horizon 2 Corvette Acquisition Project" - first published 12 May 2018.

The technical requirements provided in that list has evolved over the past few years, with MaxDefense Philippines receiving updates from sources although we were asked not to publish it since there are differences in how the Corvettes would be procured compared to the Frigate Acquisition Project back in the Horizon 1 phase in 2015-2016.

While the Frigate Acquisition Project was a public bidding where technical requirements are published as required by RA 7898 Revised Government Procurement Act, the Corvette Acquisition Project will be procured via Negotiated Procurement through Government-to-Government (G2G) process, as allowed also by RA 7898 and by RA 10349 Revised AFP Modernization Act.

Being a G2G project, the technical requirements and specifications need not be published publicly, although we were allowed by sources to see what are required by the program.


Possible Corvette Technical Equipment Fit-out:

The Basic Requirements released by the Philippine Navy back in 2018 is believed to have evolved for the last 4 years, so we expect the requirements back then to have changed.

But while changes were made, we expect some requirements to remain the same. The experience in acquiring the Jose Rizal-class frigates from South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) could be also used as a template for the Corvette project, due to commonality concerns.

Thus, it is possible to use the Jose Rizal-class frigates as template on what the corvette may look like.

This includes the following requirements and characteristics:

Hull:
* Length: previously the PN proposed that the corvette should be more than 80 meters minimum, but the PN is expected to favour a larger ship, preferably close or even similar to the size of its Jose Rizal-class frigates.

* Displacement: this will be dependent on the final size and fit-out of the ship, but we expect the PN to to shift its requirements, probably having a ship weighing at least 2,000 tons.

* Speed: to keep purchase and sustainment costs down, it is expected that the PN would stick to its original requirement of having a maximum speed of at least 25 knots, preferably more at 80% maximum continuous rating (MCR), similar to the Jose Rizal-class. This allows them to skip the need for a gas turbine engine.

* Propulsion: as mentioned above, the PN may prefer to use a purely diesel-only propulsion set-up, or at best, a hybrid diesel-electric system. But most likely no gas turbines as the PN is still allergic to using them due to fuel cost and efficiency issues.

* Endurance: the PN is expected to have the new corvette to have at least 3 weeks (21 days) minimum of endurance, although it is preferred to have at least 4 weeks (28 days) and will depend on final design.

* Range: a typical minimum requirement of up to 4,000 to 4,500 nautical miles at cruising speed is expected, typical to most warships of this size.

* Aviation Facilities: a multipurpose hangar and helicopter landing deck are definitely required, and are expected to have capacity for at least a 10-ton naval helicopter which would allow operating helicopters like the AW-159 Wildcat and AW-109 Power (already in service with PN), and larger helicopters including the S-70/SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk and the NH90 naval helicopters operated by allies and close security partners like the US, Japan, and Australia. It is also expected that the ship design should also allow for operating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV).

Weapons:
* Main Gun: 76mm Oto Melara Super Rapid naval gun, which makes more sense than shifting to the slower (100 rounds per minute) Hyundai WIA 76mm gun, as the PN already operates Oto Melara 76mm guns for decades. The Hyundai WIA gun remains a possibility if the PN selects a Korean design, and the shipbuilder insists to stick to it considering the acquisition is through G2G process, giving the shipbuilder some sort of power over the PN.

* Secondary Gun/s: 30mm automatic cannon. This could be dependent on the ship's supplier, but could potentially be either the ASELSAN SMASH, the BAE Systems Mk. 38 Mod. 3, or the MSI Defence Seahawk DS30. The SMASH in already in service with the Jose Rizal-class, while the Mk. 38 Mod. 3 and Seahawk DS30 are similar to the Mk. 38 Mod. 2 and Seahawk DS25 that are already in service in other PN ships.

* Gun-type CIWS: the PN is expected to have the winning shipbuilder offer a CIWS for the corvettes. While the PN expressed its preference for the US-made Phalanx 20mm CIWS, this could again be dependent on the ship's country of origin, considering the countries shortlisted to supply the corvettes have their own national CIWS programs.

* Torpedo Tubes: two triple 324mm anti-submarine torpedo tubes, which could be the SEA TLS-TT similar to those installed on the Jose Rizal-class. Torpedoes to be used would be dependent on ship supplier's country of origin but there is a big chance that the PN may stick to LIGNex1's K745 Blue Shark lightweight anti-submarine torpedoes from South Korea for commonality with the PN's current inventory.

* Anti-Ship Missiles: should a Korean shipbuilder win, it is expected that the LIGNex1 SSK-700 C-Star anti-ship missile would be the staple offer. But it is also possible for the MBDA MM40 Exocet Block II due to the PN's preference for the missile.

* Air Defense Missile System: the PN is said to be looking for 16-cell VLS. Among those floated in the past include the use of Mk.41 VLS with Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM), the MBDA VL-MICA or MBDA CAMM/Sea Ceptor system, or the K-SAAM using K-VLS system.

Sensors:
* Main Radar: it is expected that the PN will be requiring for a more powerful, much modern radar than the Hensoldt TRS-3D Baseline D air/surface 3D radar installed on the Jose Rizal-class. It would be remembered that HHI previously offered the much modern NS-100 series 3D AESA radar to the PN. It is expected that the Hensoldt TRS-4D or the Thales NS-1000 series AESA radar would be preferred for the corvettes.

* Secondary Surface Search Radar: it is also expected for the PN to stick to the Kelvin Hughes Sharpeye surface search/navigation radar system.

* Fire Control Radar: the PN currently operates the Leonardo Selex NA-25X with the Jose Rizal-class frigates, although for the corvettes it could be a much improved variant like the NA-30S which allows guidance for semi-active surface to air missiles (depends on what the SAM system the PN will select). French and Korean alternatives could also be a possibility, depending on the winning shipbuilder.

* Hull Mounted Sonar: since the PN is already using the Harris 997, and is installing the ELAC Nautic Hunter hull-mounted sonar on the Del Pilar-class frigates, it is possible that the PN may stick to either of the two models for commonality. Thales Underwater Systems Bluewatcher is another potential if PN and the shipbuilder sticks to Thales subsystems.

Other sensors that we expect to be installed on the new corvettes include Communications and Radar Electronic Support Measures (C-ESM and R-ESM), Electro-Optical Tracking System (EOTS), a Towed Array Sonar System (TASS), Countermeasures Launchers, Secondary Surface Search/Navigation Radar System, and Tactical Air Navigation System (TACAN).

The  PN is also expected to specify for the ship, especially the Combat Management System (CMS), to be able to integrate to the US Tactical Data Link 16 (TDL16) and Tactical Data Link 22 (TDL22).

Competitors:

Back in 2018, MaxDefense Philippines listed down potential competitors for the project. This included Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) with their MEKO A100 corvette design, The Netherlands' Damen with their Sigma light warship design, South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) with a modified design of their HDF-2600 used for the Jose Rizal-class frigate, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) with a new design based on a reduced Daegu-class frigate, and India's Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) with the same design offered to the PN before for the Frigate project based on a modified Kamorta-class design.

But this appears to have changed. MaxDefense Philippines received information from sources that only a few shipbuilders have made it into higher level of negotiations with the PN and DND:

1. Dutch shipbuilder Damen, which has offered its SIGMA light warship designs;
2. France's Naval Group, which offered its Gowind 2500 corvette design;
3. Turkish shipbuilder ASFAT made an offer based on its MILGEM family of warships including variants of the Ada-class corvette and Istanbul-class light frigate;
4. Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has pitched its new HDC-3100 which is an improved variant of the Jose Rizal-class (HDF-2600) light frigate.

Damen's Offer:

It is unclear which specific design did Damen formally offered, although MaxDefense Philippines that it could be either the SIGMA  the SIGMA 10514, which is the baseline design used for the Indonesian Navy's Martadinata-class frigate and Mexican Navy's Reformador-class ocean patrol vessel.

The SIGMA 10514 design, this example as the Martadinata-class frigate of the Indonesian Navy. Photo credits to original source.

Combat and Sensor suites are said to be locked with using Thales products as Thales and Damen appears to have an arrangement of exclusivity. Thales products may include the TACTICOS Combat Management System, the NS-100 series AESA air/surface search radar system, STIR 1.2 EO Mk. 2 fire control radar, Kingclip hull-mounted sonar, CAPTAS-2 towed array sonar, and others. It is highly possible that the subsystems are similar to original offer made by HHI to the Philippine Navy for the Frigate Acquisition Project before it was switched (despite PN's disapproval) to a less-capable but cheaper alternatives.

Weapon systems include the 76mm Oto Melara Super Rapid gun, MBDA MM40 Exocet anti-ship cruise missiles, a choice of 30mm remote-controlled weapon system and gun/missile-type close-in weapon system, 12 or 16-cell MBDA VL-MICA air defense missile system, and a two triple torpedo tubes.

One of Damen's selling point is the potential to build one of the corvettes in the Philippines through a local partner. Currently Damen is represented in the Philippines by Propmech Corporation, but it remains to be seen who will they partner with to build a corvette as Propmech appears to be incapable of doing this on their own.

Damen's SIGMA series of light combat ships, with the SIGMA 9313 and SIGMA 10514 among those that could potentially fill the PN's requirements. Photo credits to Navy Recognition.

Naval Group's Offer:

We received confirmation from Philippine Navy sources that Naval Group's offer is centered on the Gowind 2500 corvette design similar to the one being built for the Egyptian Navy as the El Fateh-class. 

The ship is around 102 meters long, a maximum width of 16 meters, and a displacement of around 2,500 tons, and is powered by diesel engines using Combined Diesel and Diesel (CODAD) configuration. This allows a maximum speed of up to 25 knots, a range of around 4,0000 nautical miles at 15 knots, and an endurance of 21 days.

This is also a shorter, slightly smaller version of the Maharaja Lela-class light frigates being built for the Royal Malaysian Navy, which is based on the Gowind 3100 design.

While the original Gowind 2500 uses Combined Diesel and Electric propulsion configuration, the offer to PN was said to have been changed to Combined Diesel and Diesel (CODAD). Photo credits to Naval Group.

The Gowind 2500 has a helicopter landing deck and hangar for a 10-ton helicopter or unmanned aerial vehicle.

The combat system revolves around the Naval Group's SETIS Combat Management System, and uses Thales subsystems including the NS-100 3D AESA radar or the non-AESA SMART-S Mk. II air/surface search radar, and other Thales sensors similar to those offered by Damen's corvette design.

Also like Damen, weapon systems include the 76mm Oto Melara Super Rapid naval gun, MBDA MM40 Exocet Block II anti-ship cruise missiles, a choice of 30mm RCWS, 16-cell MBDA VL-MICA air defense system, and two triple torpedo tubes.

Naval Group is also open to building one of the corvettes in the Philippines, and we were told that they have secured a local partner in case the Philippine Navy select them for the project.

The Gowind 2500 corvette. Photo credits to MBDA.

ASFAT's Offer:

MaxDefense Philippines received confirmation from sources that Turkish state-owned defense group ASFAT, which represent several Turkish shipbuilders, has offered a variant of the Ada-class missile corvette for the Philippine Navy project.

The Ada-class is currently in service with the Turkish Naval Forces, and a derivative design was used for an order for the Pakistani Navy. The design offered to the Philippine Navy is said to be very similar to the export design used for the Pakistani Navy, which is slightly larger and heavier, uses a Combined Diesel and Diesel (CODAD) propulsion configuration, and includes a VLS system.

The Pakistan Navy's "initial" design variant of the Ada-class MILGEM I corvette shows several differences to the original Turkish variant, including the use of VLS, different weapons and sensors suite, etc. This design has been changed later on, although the general configuration of this variant is similar to the one offered to the Philippine Navy sans Western sensors and weapon suit. Photo credits to Defence Turkey Magazine.

The Combat System revolves around the HAVELSAN GENESIS Combat Management System from Turkey, which is said to be open architecture. MaxDefense Philippines also received confirmation that Turkey was willing for the transfer of technology of the GENESIS CMS to allow the Philippine Navy to reconfigure it to its own needs without relying on HAVELSAN or ASFAT. This is one of its major advantages over other shipbuilders.

No specifics has been shared yet to MaxDefense Philippines with regards to the sensor suite, but it is expected that sensors from Thales or Leonardo would be used including the air/surface search radar system, fire control radar, electro-optical systems, and sonar.

As for weapons, it will have the 76mm Oto Melara Super Rapid gun, 30mm ASELSAN SMASH naval gun, a choice of anti-ship missiles that include the Boeing Harpoon and MBDA MM40 Block II Exocet, and a selection of VLS and VLS-launched air defense missiles from Europe or USA including the VL-MICA, Mk. 41 VLS with ESSM, and others.

Turkey may also offer its new ROKETSAN Atmaca, but the missile is still under development and may not be acceptable at the moment.

ASFAT has also opened the possibility of offering a derivative of the upcoming Istanbul-class light frigate as well, which is larger, heavier and longer than the Ada-class, but will have more space and endurance than the Ada-class.

The only issue with the Istanbul-class is said to be the price, which is beyond the Php14 billion/ship budget of the Philippine Navy. But considering the project is financed via soft-loan, additional funding might be allowed if the PN believes the larger ship is a better option.

Another advantage of ASFAT is their offer to build one of the corvettes in the Philippines through a local partner.

A comparison between the Ada-class corvette (above) and Istanbul-class frigate (below), both of which are products of the Turkish Navy's MILGEM programme. Take note the specs of the Ada-class shown above is based on Turkey's domestic model. Offer to PN is said to be slightly larger, slower and heavier.

Hyundai Heavy Industries' Offer:

MaxDefense Philippines has received confirmation from industry and Philippine Navy sources that HHI has indeed offered their HDC-3100 (also known as HDF-3100) design for the PN's Corvette Project.

The design is an improved and enlarged version of the HDF-2600 design, which was the baseline design used for the Jose Rizal-class frigates built for the Philippine Navy in 2017.

Of the shipbuilders shortlisted, only HHI was able to publicize their design, and according to our sources, HHI was very specific on the CGI they released to what the proposal is to the Philippine Navy.

As expected, the ship's combat systems revolve around the Hanwha Systems Naval Shield Integrated Combat Management System (I-CMS), and will be having its latest Baseline 3 variant similar to those to be used on the Republic of Korea Navy's FFX-III frigates.

It would be remembered that Hanwha Systems presented the Naval Shield Baseline 3 to the Philippine Navy during ADAS 2018.

Photo shows former PN FOIC Vice Adm. Robert Empedrad (ret) being briefed on the Naval Shield Baseline 3 ICMS by a Hanwha Systems official during ADAS 2018. Photo taken from Hanwha Systems.

MaxDefense Philippines is still waiting for further confirmation on the sensor and weapon systems suite offered by HHI, but was told that those seen in the CGI from HHI is exactly what HHI offered to the Philippine Navy. So with this, we'll use HHI's HDC-3100 CGI for basis of our analysis.

The ship is larger than the Jose Rizal-class frigates - with a length of at least 114 meters and a width of 14.8 meters, with a displacement of around 3,100 tons. Compare this to the Jose Rizal-class at around 107.5 meters long, 13.8 meters wide, and displaces at around 2,600 tons.

Comparison between the HDC-3100 (above), the HDF-3000 frigate aka Incheon-class (middle), and the HDF-2600 frigate aka Jose Rizal-class (bottom). The HDF-2600 and HDC-3100 both have a maximum speed of only around 25 knots due to lack of gas turbine engines, while the HDF-3000 is equipped with a GE LM2500 gas turbine in CODAG configuration allowing for higher speeds. Photo credits to HHI.

Looking at the CGI, starting from the front end:

Main gun is a 76mm caliber, with a choice of either the Hyundai WIA 76mm gun with 100 rounds per minute capacity, or the Oto Melara 76mm Super Rapid gun with a 120 rounds per minute capacity. Most likely the Philippine Navy will insist on Oto Melara as it is already in service with the PN, although as mentioned earlier, HHI may insist to use the Hyundai WIA gun considering the project is financed through soft loan and the South Korean Government may have an upper hand during negotiations.

A 16-cell Vertical Launching System (VLS) can be found behind the 76mm main gun, and it appears to be the VLS for the MBDA VL-MICA air defense missile system, capable of firing 16 VL-MICA surface-to-air missiles.

The front end of the HDC-3100, with the CGI showing what appears to be a Hyundai WIA 76mm naval gun, and a 16-cell VLS that fits the appearance of the MBDA VL-MICA air defense system. Cranes are also visible beside the VLS launchers, which will assist in loading/reloading launching boxes on the VLS system. Photo taken from HHI.

The VL-MICA VLS, container and launcher, which is similar to the ones in the HDC-3100 CGI. 

The ship's mast also show what appears to be a Hensoldt TRS-4D AESA air/surface search radar system, a Kelvin Hughes Sharpeye navigation and secondary surface search radar system, a Selex ES NA-25X fire control radar, VSAT/satellite communications (SATCOM) system antennas, a Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN) system antenna, and Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) antennas.

It also shows four Countermeasures Launchers, most likely the Terma C-Guard system.

Mast and bridge section of the HDC-3100 design. Photo taken from HHI.

Superstructure midsection shows an open deck before the funnel, but covered from the funnel to the rear, which improves reducing radar cross section compared to the HDF-2600 / Jose Rizal-class.

Two rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) are seen but covered by a retractable gate, while the triple torpedo launchers were moved to a lower deck and is covered also by a retractable gate.

Also seen are two quadruple launchers for anti-ship missiles, most likely the LIGNex1 SSM-700K C-Star anti-ship cruise missiles.

Another retractable gate can be seen behind those for the RHIBs, which are open-able during launching of anti-ship missiles and not burn the ship's superstructure walls.

Midsection of the HDC-3100 design. Photo credits to HHI.

At the hangar superstructure, the upper deck features a gun-based Close-in Weapon System (CIWS), which appears to be similar to Hanwha Systems' CIWS-II design, although there is no visible medium-caliber RCWS.

MaxDefense Philippines believes that a redesign of the hangar's upper deck would be made to allow the CIWS to sit on a higher platform, and allowing a RCWS to be at a lower position.

Hangar section of the HDC-3100 design. Photo credits to HHI.

A helicopter landing deck can be found on the aft, expected to have a capacity of at least 10 tons, enough to allow the AgustaWestland AW-159 Wildcat, Sikorsky MH-60 Seahawk, or even the NH Industries NH90 naval helicopter.

The helideck section. Photo credits to HHI.

Take note that since this is a basic CGI of the HDC-3100 design, further improvements can be made once the Critical Design Review (CDR) is done. One would remember that the pre-CDR CGI of the Jose Rizal-class is slightly different from the final output.

Compared to its other competitors, HHI did not offer to build any corvette in the Philippines. Instead, all work will be in HHI's Ulsan naval shipyard. Apparently, this allows to lower down cost, compared to providing technology transfer which is expensive vis a vis the project's budget.

Why Focus on HHI's Corvette Offer?:

Readers may have noticed that our analysis for the corvette offerings of the 4 companies are more comprehensive on HHI's HDC-3100 compared to the 3 other offerings from Turkey, France and The Netherlands.

This is because so far, HHI has released more information publicly than the other 3 companies. This could only mean 1 thing - that HHI may have already reached a certain level of advancement on the project compared to the other 3 companies.

This is not just because of the availability of a CGI of its offer, but also based on information provided by Philippine Navy and industry sources to MaxDefense Philippines.

Apparently, HHI and the South Korean Ministry of National Defense (MND) has already advanced more in its negotiations with the Philippine Navy and Philippines Department of National Defense (DND), to the point that Terms of Reference (TOR) is already being prepared, which would lead to a Notice of Award (NOA) being given to HHI.

Terms of Reference is the document that is a guideline that would be part of the contract between the two parties, and having this arranged with a certain company only means that deal is almost nearing completion.

Not only that, we also received confirmation from South Korean sources indicating that HHI's naval shipyard in Ulsan has already started preparation in anticipation of an award and eventual construction of the new corvettes (MaxDefense Philippines thanks its South Korean sources for this information).

This can be also corroborated by the lack of further discussion between the Philippine Navy / DND team and the 3 other shipbuilders. In comparison, HHI's executive vice president and director for Marketing and Sales Mr. Moon Young Park was meeting the Philippine Navy leadership as late as 03 August 2021.

HHI Executive VP and Director for Marketing and Sales Mr. Moon Young Park meets PN leadership on 03 August 2021 in Manila. Photo credits to Philippine Navy.

Does this mean HHI is the Winning Shipbuilder?:

Not necessarily, or not yet. While they have the highest chance of getting the project, until a Notice of Award is given, a Contract signed and the Notice to Proceed issued, everything can still happen.

The biggest obstacle though is lack of funding from the national government - if the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) does not release the initial funding for the Php28 billion project, the deal won't push through. This can happen even if Malacanang approves the deal to proceed.

Another is on the delays in implementing the project. This could be due to lack of funding (as stated earlier), or because of bureaucratic red tape. If this project does not reach contract signing before the end of the 2021, it can be considered a "midnight deal" if still pushed just months before the national elections in May 2022.

But another factor that can delay the project will depend on the Philippine Navy - will HHI and the PN reach an agreement on the deal's details while it is still clear for a deal to proceed?

We expect that HHI would be pushy on its offer, and may steamroll the Philippine Navy's Technical Working Group (TWG) and Leadership especially now that the deal is through soft loans by the shipbuilder's country of origin. If both parties agree on the final inclusions of the deal, then the Philippine Navy can pass the burden to complete the deal to the DND and the National Government.

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MaxDefense Philippines will continue to monitor the developments on this project, especially that the Philippine Navy is not publicizing the details of the project due to its G2G nature, unlike the previous Frigate Acquisition Project that was acquired through public bidding.

We are still hopeful that the government would finalize the deal before the end of year 2021, no matter who the winning shipbuilder and corvette design would be selected.

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First edit and release: 09 August 2021
Copyright MaxDefense Philippines

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More Details on the Philippine Navy's Horizon 2 Offshore Patrol Vessel Project After ADAS 2018

Shipbuilders from Asia, Australia and Europe gathered in Manila from 26th to 28th September 2018 for the 3rd Asian Defense, Security, and Crisis Management Exhibition 2018 (ADAS 2018), the Philippines' foremost defense exhibition held biennially. And among the exhibits and offerings they showcased are mostly related to the Philippine Navy's requirements under the Horizon 2 phase of the Revised AFP Modernization Program (RAFPMP).

Among those projects that are up for grabs and is very lucrative was the Philippine Navy's requirement for 6 Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), to replace its existing fleet of Malvar-class World War 2-era ships used by the PN for the same purpose. These ships were needed to be replaced 40 years ago and yet they are still hardworking with the Offshore Combat Force of the PN. With the current administration of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte approving the Horizon 2 Priority Projects worth Php300 billion, the Philippine Navy was provided with a budget of Php30 billion, or 10% of the total Horizon 2 budget for the acquisition of these 6 OPVs.

The presence of shipbuilders was well-noted due to their products being big ticket items. Among those present were the following::

* Austal Philippines, a local subsidiary of Austal of Australia;
* Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) of South Korea;
* Damen of the Netherlands;
* Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) of South Korea;
* Larsen & Toubro (L&T) of India;
* Lurssen Defence of Germany;
* Kockums of Sweden, under SAAB group;
* PT PAL of Indonesia;
* Rosoboronexport of Russia, representing several Russian shipbuilders;
* Vympel Shipyards of Russia

The Philippine Navy OPV has put the country on the spotlight of global shipbuilders who wish to participate in the program, including Australia's Austal, which has its own shipyard in the Philippines.
Photo taken from Austal's website.

While not all of the companies mentioned above provided display or information regarding their products that may fit the OPV project, at least several all of them did. MaxDefense will be discussing some of those show @ ADAS 2018, as well as from information we gathered from sources.

This blog can be considered an update to our earlier blog discussing the then-proposed acquisition of Multi-Purpose Patrol Vessels (MPPV) based on earlier documents from the DND and PN. But our readers are advised to read the old blog first, to have some basic idea and comparison on what happened and planned before versus what is asked for now.

"The Multi-Purpose Patrol Vessel, the Philippine Navy's Newest Horizon 2 Project" - first posted on 16 November 2016 (almost 2 years ago).



Potential OPV Offers and their Characteristics:


1. Austal Philippines:

Austal Australia through its Philippine subsidiary showcased their Philippine Navy OPV design, which is said to be based on their Cape-class large patrol boat. Their product is actually, in MaxDefense's opinion, the best barometer of what the Philippine Navy is looking for.

Based on the specs provided by Austal in their product material, it has an overall length of 81.7 meters, beam of 13.3 meters, and a hull draft of 4 meters. No other information was provided although the CGI is helpful. The design uses a stealthy profile, a single mast, and simple but clean superstructure.

Austal's Philippine Navy OPV design.
Taken from Austal's website.

The CGI photo shows the ship armed with an Oto Melara 76mm Super Rapid naval gun as its main weapon, and what appears to be two (2) remote controlled machine gun systems in either 25mm or 30mm caliber, one each on the port and starboard sides. It also appears to have a manually operated 12.7mm machine gun on each side of the bridge wing. 

The ship also appears to be equipped with an S-band navigation radar, a 2D air/surface search radar, a Radar Direction Finder, a Radar Electronic Support Measures (R-ESM) system, an Electro-Optical / Infrared (EO/IR) system, a large helicopter deck but no hangar, space good enough for 2 Containerized Mission Modules at the stern, a quick-entry RHIB stern ramp, and a davit/crane-deployed RHIB at the midship.

These features are a good basis of what the Philippine Navy could be looking for as a minimum requirement, which means that shipbuilders who can propose a design that has these features may be considered qualified for the project.

The Austal OPV proposal's aft is shown.
Photo taken from Austal's broduct brochure, credits to the one who took the photo.

2. Propmech Corporation

Another interesting design that is obviously for the Philippine Navy was released by local marine company Propmech Corporation, which dubbed the design they released as the "OPV 1500". The design is very much influenced by those made by their foreign partner, Dutch shipbuilder Damen, as Propmech's OPV 1500 appears to be very much similar in profile, shape, and design qualities as Damen's larger OPV 1800 and smaller OPV 1400, as well as the Holand-class OPV.

No dimensions were provided by Propmech, but if we follow Damen's way of naming ships, OPV 1500 means that the ship is expected to weigh a little over 1,500 tons. Also, since the ship is between the size of Damen's OPV 1400 and OPV 1800, MaxDefense can assume that the OPV 1500 could be longer than 72 meters, but shorter than 83 meters; a beam of somewhere between 12.7 meters to 13.7 meters; a draft of around 3.75 meters; have a maximum speed of between 21 to 22 knots; range of between 4,000 to 5,000 nautical miles, and endurance between 25 to 30 days.

Propmech's OPV 1500. The design cues show strong Damen-inspired lines and concept.
Photo taken by a MaxDefense community member who wish to remain anonymous.

The CGI photo also shows that the ship is armed with an Oto Melara 76mm Super Rapid naval gun as its main weapon and two (2) remote controlled machine gun systems of either 25mm or 30mm caliber, a helicopter deck, an S-band and X-band navigation radars, a 2D air/surface search radar, and a having a streamlined design.

The good thing was that Propmech made a description script on the ship, wherein it mentioned the presence of a hangar and deck capable of accommodating helicopters the size of NH90 or Sea King (which are considered 11-12 ton helicopters), has davits for two (2) 9.0m RHIB, below deck spaces for multi-purpose requirements, and aft deck space for two (2) Containerized Mission Modules.

It also mentioned accommodation for 46 crew members, and nautical equipment including Satcom C and F77, UHF and HF receivers, Integrated Bridge System, X & S Band radars, ECDIS, Gyro, DGPS, Speedlog, Autopilot, Echo Sounder, Navtex, etc. All of which could be a requirement of the Philippine Navy for their OPV.

Combining the details from Austal and Propmech's proposals alone already gives us a picture of what the Philippine Navy is looking for.



3. Daewoo Shipbuiding & Marine Engineering (DSME):

The South Korean shipbuilder did not make any displayed confirmation if they are offering something to the Philippine Navy for its OPV requirements, but based on the descriptions and displays made by Austal and Propmech, there is actually something in the ADAS 2018 display that possibly meets the PN's requirement.

DSME displayed their DW1800C Corvette design, which despite being classiied as a corvette, could actually be a possible OPV contender.

DSME's DW1800C Corvette design, which they have been displaying in international defense exhibitions since 2 years ago. While it is categorzied as a corvette, the ship actually looks more like an OPV.
Photo taken by a MaxDefense community member who wish to remain anonymous.

DSME's DW1800C Corvette design as shown on its side.
Photo taken by a MaxDefense community member who wish to remain anonymous.

Based on the ADAS 2018 display, the ship is 85 meters long, has a beam of 13 meters wide, and a total depth of 7.0 meters. It weighs in at 1,800 ton, and has a speed of 26 knots. The dimensions and displacement is not very far from those of Austal and Propmech's design, although the speed is faster than our hypothetical maximum speed of Propmech's OPV 1500.

Based on the scale model they displayed in ADAS 2018 (which by the way, is the same scale model they are displaying on every major defense show DSME attends for the past year), the ship is armed with a Hyundai Wia 76mm naval gun, two (2) remote controlled machine gun system of either 25mm or 30mm caliber, an X-band and S-band navigation radars, a 3D air/surface search radar, a Fire Control Radar, a Radar Electronics Support Measures (R-ESM) system, an EO/IR system, 2 cranes for 2 RHIBs deployments, and a helideck for a medium-sized helicopter but no hangar.



4. Damen:

The Dutch shipbuilder has been successful recently in Indonesia with their SIGMA family of light warships,with Indonesia ordering 2 frigates (Martadinata-class based on SIGMA 10514 design) and 4 corvettes (Diponegoro-class based on SIGMA 9113 design), but has yet to get a client in the ASEAN region for their Offshore Patrol Vessels.

No confirmation was made if they are planning to make a separate pitch with that made by Propmech Corporation, but they did gave emphasis on their OPV 1800, which is a larger model to the OPV 1500 displayed by Propmech. 

Based on standard fit-out as per their product data sheet, the OPV 1800 weights 1,850 tons, is 83 meters long, with a beam of 13.7 meter and a draft of 3.75 meters, has a maximum speed of 22 knots, range of 5,000 nautical miles, and endurance of around 30 days. 

Due to the ship open to the end user's configuration, MaxDefense expects it to have similar or equivalent fit out as the ones provided by other shipbuilders.

Damen's OPV 1800 as seen in their display @ ADAS 2018.
Photo shared to MaxDefense by a community member who wish to remain anonymous.

5. Lurssen Defense:

German shipbuilder Lurssen Defense was also @ ADAS 2018 to showcase German products, as other German companies like TKMS and Fassmer were absent during the event.

On display was the PV 80, specifically the Darussalam-class OPVs of the Royal Brunei Navy which ues the PV 80 design. The ship displaces at around 1,500 tons, with a length of 80 meters, a beam of 13 meters, and a draft of 3 meters. Crew is around 80, plus 18 embarked depending on mission profile.

The Darussalam-class OPV of the Royal Brunei Navy was made as an example of Lurssen's PV 80 design, as seen in Lurssen's stall during ADAS 2018.
Photo shared to MaxDefense by a community member who wish to remain anonymous.

Based on the Darussalam-class to show its capabilities in real terms, the ship is equipped with a 57mm Bofors Mk 3 naval gun, 2 units of 20mm remote operated machine gun systems, two twin launchers for the MBDA MM40 Exocet anti-ship missiles, two Terma C-Guard SKWS-6T decoy launchers, and two Cal.50 manually operated machine guns.

The ship has a Terma Scanter 4100 2D air/surface search radar, a Mk. XII Identification Friend or FOe (IFF), a Thales STING EO Mk. II fire control system, Harris ES3601 tactical communications system, a helicopter deck for 11 ton helicopters, capability to carry a 10-meter RHIB through a stern ramp, and a 6-meter RHIB through davits. It can also carry two 20-meter Contrainerized Mission Modules.



6. PT PAL:

Indonesia's state-owner shipbuilder was present in this year's ADAS exhibition, and has been pushing hard for a follow-on order of their Strategic Sealift Vessel, which is being offered to the Philippine Navy, as well as an enlarged version being offered to the Royal Malaysian Navy and Royal Thai Navy. But what was not visible on the display was an offer by PT PAL for an 85-meter Offshore Patrol Vessel. While there's not much fanfare in their OPV offering, its mere presence means PT PAL is also capable of providing a proposal for the PN's requirement.

PT PAL's OPV  85-meter design has an overall length of 85 meters, a beam of 12.9 meters, a draft of 3.80 meters, a displacement of 1,880 tons, and a crew of 65 people. It has a cruising speed of around 14 knots and a maximum speed of 26 knots, and a range o 3,000 nautical miles.

It can carry 2 RHIB and has 1 crane of its deployment, and the ship is made of steel for both the hull and superstructure.

The photo from their product brochure also shows a helicopter deck a small hangar, the use of an Integrated Mast for the sensors, and armed with a 57mm Bofors Mk. 3 naval gun and two 20mm remote controlled machine gun systems, 1 each at port and starboard sides.

Normally, the use of an Integrated Mast is just an option, and a standard mast with separate sensors and antennas can be used to replace it. Like all other ships, the 57mm Bofors Mk. 3 naval gun can be replaced with an Oto Melara 76mm naval gun if specified.

PT PAL's 85-meter OPV design, as shown on their product brochure.

7. Rosoboronexport:

No specific details were provided nor any display in their stall during ADAS 2018, although MaxDefense received confirmation that Rosoboronexport did offer the Project 22160 for both the PN's OPV and Corvette projects.




Additional Information on Shipbuilders Based on MaxDefense's Sources:

Aside from the information we got from ADAS 2018 which includes verbal confirmation from shipbuilder's representatives, and by observation and analysis from scale models and product brochures, MaxDefense was able to gather more information about the offers made by the above mentioned shipbuilders.

1. For Austal, this would be a milestone for them since they usually construct ships made of aluminium, and in this case, their offering for the PN OPV will have a steel hull. But it would still be using aluminium for the ship's superstructure. The aluminium superstructure was actually mentioned by several MaxDefense sources and community members to be a concern especially during combat due to their inherent ease of prone to flammable and fire damage.

Austal is also currently said to be the most favoured by the Department of National Defense (DND), as MaxDefense was informed that the DND did have several personal and video meetings with Austal management and leaders.The shipyard in Balamban, Cebu is actually their strongest advantage, being the only one seriously offering for the project with its own shipyard locally, unlike others which are partnering with local shipyards only.

Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana and PN official's recent visit to Austal's yard in Cebu is another strong indication that favours Austal over the other shipbuilders.


2. On Propmech Corporation, they currently have strong relations with the Philippine Navy, being able to supply 9 Multi-Purpose Attack Crafts (MPAC), several fast boats, and the landing craft utility BRP Tagbanua.(AT-296). This could be useful for them, considering their partnership with Dutch shipbuilder Damen allowed both companies to create a strong proposal for the PN. Being a local partner of SAAB Group as well may show up in their offer, as MaxDefense expects Propmech and Damen to use SAAB's naval systems including the 9LV Combat Management System, or even the Sea Giraffe AMB which will be available soon on the PN's Del Pilar-class frigates.
The only problem with Propmech is not having its own shipyard which is large enough to construct Offshore Patrol Vessels or similar ships on their own, and instead may have to rely on a subcontractor or another partner with its own shipyard. This could be a reason why it is expected that Damen may also have its own submission for the OPV project, as it may also be looking for another partner with its own shipyard that won't involve Propmech's participation and using Damen's own design which MaxDefense believes to be the OPV 1800. MaxDefense also received information that an OPV 1600 design may also be available with Damen but is not being made public yet, and may conform more on the PN's requirements and remain competitive in terms of pricing.


3. For Daewoo Shipbuilder & Marine Engineering (DSME), apparently they are not as aggressive as it looks, but they are quietly working their way too in a more discrete manner, probably to avoid the same backlash as fellow Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) encountered with the Frigate Acquisition Project. MaxDefense was also told that DSME was giving more concentration on the PN's plan to acquire Submarines, which DSME believes is more possible to win than the OPV or any other naval shipbuilding projects of the PN.

MaxDefense believes that DSME may also dangle some "freebies" into the deal, like offering to provide a used ex-ROKN warship like the Pohang-class corvettes with the assistance of the Korean government, to improve their offer without the need to spend on costs.

4. As for Lurssen Defense, there are several PN officers that made their choice known to MaxDefense, and based on our own internal observation of our community members from the PN, they are more favourable to Lurssen's products, apparently due to their high quality and proven capability. The recent visit of a Darussalam-class OPV from the Royal Brunei Navy made it more possible for PN officers to view the quality and workmanship of the ship, as well as its feel and design from up-close.

The only downside with Lurssen is pricing, which is expected to be on the high side, as well as reported imposition of stricter arms export control by the German (and Spanish) governments for weapons or defense exports to the Philippines, following the case of Belgium. This was only reported to MaxDefense recently and has already affected certain projects where the AFP favoured a German supplier. This issue is still something that needs further confirmation, although if this is true then it would really be a big problem that Lurssen and other German shipyards like Fassmer and TKMS would need to hurdle.

5. PT PAL's concerns are somehow different from the other shipbuilders. It is in a position that it may difficulty to offer a major combat ship like the OPV due to security reasons. While Indonesia is not an enemy or a potential threat to the Philippines, it currently shares borders with it which could be a reason for any future conflict. And it is for security reasons that the Indonesians should not have a complete knowledge of the OPVs design. Apparently, PT PAL is still searching for a local shipyard partner in case they are given the chance to participate. 

Their 85-meter OPV design is actually benefiting from their previous partnership with Damen, as well as introducing design cues that are present on Damen's OPV and SIGMA designs, as well as with Indonesia's acquisition of the BAE F2000-based Bung Tomo-class corvettes. 



Other Possible Interested Proponents:

Aside from those that attended the ADAS 2018, MaxDefense also received confirmation that other shipbuilders have shown interest, or at least touched base with the Philippine Navy or DND for information and for informal offers.

Among those MaxDefense were able to name are France's Naval Group (specifically Kerships), Thailand's Bangkok Dock Company in cooperation with BAE Systems, Israel Shipyards, Goa Shipyard Limited and Garden Reach Shipbuilders Engineers (GRSE) of India, Fassmer of Germany, and a certain shipbuilder from Ukraine. 

It is still unclear though if they are serious with their intentions to try to offer for the Philippine Navy, considering the project might undergo Public Bidding due to the number of interested proponents.

Bangkok Dock Company was said to have expressed interest in joining the OPV acquisition project of the Philippine Navy using an improved version of the RTN's Krabi-class, which in turn is an improved version of BAE System's River-class OPV. The company is also said to have offered the same design to the Sri Lankan Navy recently.
Photo taken from PDFF Forum c/o MaxDefense community member Dewey.

Additional Details on OPV, Prior and Post ADAS 2018:

Aside from the information from ADAS 2018, MaxDefense was able to gather additional information on the OPV project.

Based on information MaxDefense gathered from sources here are the following details we can add on our hypothetical Technical Specifications for the PN's OPV requirement:

On Weapon and Sensor Systems:

1. The PN appears to be inclined on using the Oto Melara 76mm Super Rapid naval gun as the ship's default primary gun. This will be done not be mentioning the brand and model specifically, but by specifying a requirement of 120 rounds per minute and any other features which only the gun has and its closest competitor doesn't have, which is only possible with the said gun.

2. No specifics were provided regarding the quantity Remote Controlled Machine Gun Systems, but it would be either 25mm or 30mm in caliber, similar to what the PN already has or will have.

3. The ships are said to be fitted for but not with (FFBNW) at least two twin anti-ship missile launchers and at least a SHORAD system similar to the MBDA Simbad RC.

The PN OPV design should be able to accommodate FFBNW anti-ship missile launchers, not just space but also wiring and bolting, as well as sufficient power supply and sensor support. This is despite the missile launchers not part of the contract and will be PN's responsibility in the future. The Darussalam-class above has two twin MM40 Exocet launchers between the bridge structure and the funnel.
Credits to owner of the photo.
 

4. The ship shall be FFBNW Tactical Data Link 16. And with this, we could also assume that a Combat Management System (CMS) should also be included.

5. The Containerized Mission Modules may include a Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) system which could share the helicopter deck with the helicopter especially when its not on the deck. It may also include an Unmanned Sea Vehicle (USV), or a Mine Warfare System.

The Philippine Navy has expressed interest in acquiring the Boeing Insitu ScanEagle UAV for ship-launched requirements. It was reported to MaxDefense that several PN officers are already familiar with the ScanEagle through the Philippine Air Force units.
Credits to owner of photo.

6. As MaxDefense already mentioned before, the OPVs would be equipped with Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) as part of its defensive and communications capabilities.

The Philippine Navy requires the OPVs to be equipped with a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD). The photo above is an example used by the Philippine Coast Guard in their Parola-class patrol vessels.
Photo taken from MaxDefense FB page c/o a source which prefer to remain anonymous.

On Hull and Other Items:

1. The ships would definitely use diesel engines, probably in Combined Diesel and Diesel (CODAD) configuration. Although it is unlikely that a gas turbine powered OPV design will be offered (except for the Project 22160 from Russia), this would be emphasized on the technical specifications.
2. Helicopter deck is required, but a hangar is not required but can be offered by shipbuilders if they can. The helideck capacity was not mentioned,although it is expected to be specified to carry at least the heaviest helicopters in the AFP (which currently is the lone S-70A Black Hawk of the PAF's 505th SAR Squadron).

3. The ships should have capability to have accommodate and launch at least 2 RHIBs.for boarding. Davits would be a standard although a quick launch/recovery system is expected to be there, at least for 1 RHIB.

4. At least 4 of the OPVs should be built in the Philippines. Shipbuilders may be given the chance to build at least 2 of the OPVs in their own shipyards to benefit the country of origin, but at least 4 of the OPVs should benefit the Philippine shipbuilding industry directly or indirectly.






MaxDefense was told by sources that the specifications for the Offshore Patrol Vessel is still being finalized, as it keeps on getting new inputs and revisions to improve the design further, benefiting from replies made on the Request for Inforamtion (RFI) and Request for Quotations (RFQ) released by the PN's Technical Working Group (TWG), as well as on new information provided after meetings and discussions with the shipbuilders.

We will be updating this blog entry as more information becomes available to MaxDefense that are good for public consumption. Right now, MaxDefense may not be able to provide more aside from that were allowed to be made public, as well as the observation and analysis we made based on information gathered.



Summary:

1. Offshore Patrol Vessel acquisition project

End User: Philippine Navy (Offshore Combat Force, Philippine Fleet)
Modernization Phase: Horizon 2 Phase of RAFPMP
ABC: Php30,000,000,000.00
SARO Release: N/A
Winning Proponent: None yet, still in pre-procurement phase
Contract Price: N/A
First post by MaxDefense: 08 November 2016

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